League and FA to negotiate winter break

Football Association officials are to hold talks with the Premier League over England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's call for a winter break, FA chief executive Adam Crozier said.

He added, "We have agreed to set up a meeting for some time in September between the FA, the Premier League and six to eight top managers to talk about how we might make it work and its implications".

Crozier and Eriksson believe a three-week break in the middle of the season is essential if the game in England is to flourish at club and international level.

An FA spokesman said today that Premier League chairman David Richards had proposed a meeting to discuss a mid-season break.

"Immediately before the World Cup, David Richards suggested a meeting involving himself, representatives of Premier League clubs, Adam and Sven to discuss a useful way forward over a mid-season break".

"Clearly, we would welcome such a meeting, but at the moment we are waiting for a date for such a meeting to take place."

Eriksson renewed his call for a winter break yesterday, saying England had been held back at the World Cup by tired and injured players whose club seasons had been too demanding.

"I think it's a problem that we have to talk about and deal with. We have to talk to club managers, the Premier League and everybody involved. At the moment the season is too hard and too long," he said.

Crozier said most football officials he had talked to thought the best plan was to start the season earlier, finish it later and have a maximum break of three weeks in the middle.

"The feeling is the beginning of January is the best time for a break," he said.